Holder for game sheets



H. A. TAYLOR HOLDER FOR GAME SHEETS Feb. 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 15, 1957 INVENTOR. Harry A 7Z2y/0r 5 Arm/way eh. 3, W59 H. A.TAYLOR 2,72,215

HOLDER FOR GAME SHEETS Filed July 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Harry 4755/47! Y United States Patent HGLDER FOR GAME SHEETS Harry A.Taylor, New York, N. Y.

Application July 15, 1957, Serial No. 671,750

1 Claim. (Cl. 281-44) This invention relates to a holder for game cardsor sheets. More particularly, the invention has reference to a holderfor a multiplicity of sheets used in playing the game of bingo. Thisgame is also known under other names, and in addition, variations of thegame may be practiced. Essentially, however, in every instance the gameincludes a sheet which has a plurality of intersecting rows of numbers,which numbers are called out and marked on the sheet. In some instances,objects, such as kernels of corn or the like, are placed on the callednumbers, and in other instances, one may use a brush or similar meansfor applying a blot of ink to the called num ber.

It is conventional for players to simultaneously play a number ofsheets, and in accordance with the invention, there is provided a holderwhich will carry up to six sheets, in positions where all six of thesheets may be conveniently observed, so that one can swiftly ascertainwhether a particular number, called during the playing of the game, ison any one or more of the several sheets.

A further object is to permit the holder to be folded into a size littlegreater in area than the size of any one game sheet, so that it can beconveniently kept in the pocket or purse when not in use.

Another object is to permit the holder to hold a large number of gamesheets, and be folded as described, while still being capable ofmanufacture at comparatively low cost.

Still another object is to provide a holder that will accommodate whollyconventional game sheets, without requiring modification or redesign ofsaid sheets in any way.

Yet another object of importance is to provide pocket means spaced apartupon the holder, in such a manner as to define, between adjacent means,fold lines along which the holder may be folded between its collapsedand extended positions.

Another object is to arrange said fold lines in a particular manner toinsure swift and easy folding of the holder,

. or unfolding of the same.

A further object of importance is to provide a holder of the characterdescribed that will be designed for insuring, to the maximum extent,against slippage of an inserted sheet, so that the sheet will not moveabout while a particular number is being marked, the holder furtherbeing adapted to facilitate insertion or removal of the sheet withoutinterference from the slip-preventing element.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a game cardholder in fully openedposition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the holder partially folded.

7 is impregnated with. a suitablejstiffener,Thep clrets 'ice Fig. 3 is aperspective view showing the holder fully folded.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged edge elevational view of a folded holder, portionsbeing broken away.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, showingone corner portion of the holder with one of the game sheets or cardsbeing disengaged from the holder.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of the open holder,showing one corner portion thereof.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on a scale enlarged above that of Fig. 6,taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, on the same scale as Fig. 7, takensubstantially on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view, the scale being enlarged stillfurther, of a modification.

Fig. 10 is a view substantially on line 1010 of Fig. 9 in which thepocket member has been raised to permit movement of the game card orsheet therefrom.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Fig. 1 there is shown in fullyopen position a holder for six bingo sheets or cards. Said sheets areordinarily printed on thin paper, and it is common practice for one toplay with a number of the sheets. In accordance with the invention, theholder accommodates six sheets, with said sheets all being firmlygripped so that they will not slip when one is marking one of thenumbers on the sheets.

The holder according to the. present invention is folded into a compact,small article the size of one of the sheets, or a little bigger.

The holder may appropriately be considered as including six panelsarrangedin two parallel rows, three panels to a row. The panels of onerow have been designated A, B and C, while the panels of the other rowhave been designated at D, E and F. By reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, itwill be seen that in accordance with the invention, extending betweenthe row of panels A, B and C and the other row is a clear space 10,constituting a hinge line. Perpendicularly intersecting the longitudinalhinge line 10 are transverse hinge lines 12, 14 extending transverselyof the respective rows of panels.

As a result, in folding the device, the row of panels D, E and F, which,purely for the purpose of facilitating understanding, will be designatedthe upper row, is folded upwardly and toward the user along the line 10,so as to swing through to the Fig. 2 position, in which position thepanels of the upper row overlie the respective panels of the lower row.1

Then, the superposed panels C, F are swung about the hinge line 14intooverlying relation to the panels B, E. Finally, the superposedpanels A, D are swung in an opposite direction along-the hinge line 12,into overlying relation to the panels C, F. This produces a completelyfolded holder as shown in Fig. 3, the overall area of which is littlegreater than that of a single panel. w The holder can thus beconveniently carried in the pocket or purse.

Considering now the particular constructionof the holder, this includesa baseor backing sheet 15. This isformed of a fabric material,whichm'aybe impregnated with a stiflenenif desired. Across the inner endof each panel as viewed in Fig. 1, there is a rectangular strip or.-

sheet 16. Across the outer end of each panel is' a similar strip orsheet18. These strips constitute pocket mempockets defined by the innerand outer strips 16 and 18.

Each pocket member is also formed ofa fabric material in a preferredembodiment, which fabric material, again,

open toward each other, and extend the full transverse dimension of apanel.

Engaged in the respective pockets are the opposite ends of a rectangularstifiener member 2%, which may be formed of a comparatively stitf,strong cardboard; In this connection, the pocket members are firstcemented at their undersides to "the fabric 10, .over the "full areasthereof. Then, the stiffener or reinforcing plate members 2.0 arecemented .or glued at their opposite ends to the inner surfaces of :thebottom walls of the respective pockets, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. Theintermediate portions .of the members 20 may also be adhesively securedto .the fabric backing sheet 15, in the area between the pockets of :thepanel.

It will be seen that all the innerpoc'ket members -16 of a single roware in longitudinal alignment, being spaced apart at their adjacent endsby the intervening fold lines 12-or'14. The same is true of all theouter pockets 18 of a particular row. -The inner pockets are arranged atopposite sides of the longitudinal or main fold line 10, while the outerpockets are arranged along the opposite longitudinal edges of theholder.

The bingo sheets have been designated at 22. These are in andof=thern-selves conventional, and are quite commonly printed .ona verythin, inexpensive paper material, so that they can be disposed of aftera single use. This is-by reason of the fact that it is'common practiceto use ink for-marking the various numbers. In accordance withthe-invention, and as shown to particular advantage in Fig. 5, the bingocards are slipped at their ends into =the pockets of a particular panel,and when a card or sheet is to be removed, it may be engaged with thethumb as shown in Fig. 5, and pushed at one end out of apartlcularpocket. This frees the card to be grasped, so that it can be removedfrom the other pocket.

In this connection, sometimes the cards tend to move about within thepockets, since the sheets are narrower than the pockets are long.Accordingly, in one form of the invention (see Figs. 9 and there areprovided circular, thin, soft rubber friction-producing pieces 24,adhesively secured to the inner surfaces of the top walls of thepockets, said top Walls being those which are-at the top whenthe holderis opened fiat as in Fig. l. The pieces 24 are located medially betweenthe opposite ends of the particular pocket, wholly within the pocket asshown in Fig. '10, medially between the longitudinal edges of the pocketwall.

The friction-producing pieces 24 are so designed that they will engagethe top surface of a bingo sheet 22, when said sheet is inserted in thepocket. To permit the sheet to be inserted, one engages the fingernailunder the outer edge of the upper wall of the pocket as shown in Fig.10. The sheet may now beinserted in the pocket, and when the finger isremoved from the pocket, the inherent resiliency of the pocket materialcauses the same to shift element 24 into face-to-face contact with thesheet 22. This binds the sheet within the pocket, since the sheet is ineffect clamped betweenthe inner wall of the pocket and a member orelement 24 of a material hav'inga decided characteristic of. producingfriction. There is no tendency for the sheet 22 to skid about within thepocket while numbers are being marked thereon.

fSubsequently, when the sheet is to be removed, one

lifts the top wall of the pocket in thernanner shown in Figf'l'O, tomove the piece .24 outof engagement with the'sheet 22, so that the sheetmay now be removed easily.

It willjbe seen that the holder constituting the present invention isdecidedly compact, and yet. is adapted to hold ailarge number of bingosheets at a very low manufacturin'gcost. The holder is readily stored inthe pocket or ,purse, and can be swiftly unfolded or folded.Further,"th'e holder-is adapted vtoigrip conventional Tbingo sheets,an'dthere'fore can be adaptedfor use without re- 4 I .quiringmodification or redesign .of. said sheets. Still further, the holder isdesigned to grip said sheets securely, and is adapted to preventmovement of the sheets from their assigned positions.

This, it will be noted, is achieved while still keeping the holder at avery low cost, the cost being, in fact, little greater than the cost .ofholders already in use that have decidedly lower capacities than thatillustrated and described herein.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what i claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A holder for a plurality of game sheets, comprising a flexible backingsheet, and means mounted in spaced relation on said sheet respectivelyadapted for removably holding a plurality'of game sheets, in superposedrelation, said backing sheet being foldable along lines extending withinthe spaces intervening between said means, for folding of said meansinto superposed relation, the backing sheet folding along a longitudinalfold line extending longitudinally and centrally of the backing sheet,and

i '7 along a plurality of transverse fold lines intersecting thelongitudinal line at uniformly spaced intervals along the lengththereof, said means being arranged in straight rows disposed one at oneside and one at the opposite side of said longitudinal fold line inparallel relation to the longitudinal fold line, said means comprisingpairs of confronting pockets adapted to hold the opposite ends of eachsheet, one pocket of the respective means c0nstituting an inner pocketand extending along the longitudinal fold line in closely spacedrelation thereto, the other pocket of each means being extended as anouter pocket along a longitudinal edge of the backing piece, saidpockets being of a flexible material and including top walls flexibleoutwardly from the backing piece to increase the areas of the pocketstemporarily for insertion or removal of said sheets, said means furtherincluding reinforcing elements of platelike form adapted to underlieeach sheet to provide a stilfener extending over substantially the fullarea of each of said means, said reinforcing elements extending atopposite ends thereof into the respective pockets of each pair, each ofsaid means further including friction-producing means within at leastone pocket of each pair adapted to frictionally engage the insertedsheet to hold said sheet against slippage within the pocket, saidfriction-producing means being in the form of a small, fiat, thinelement of a resilient, soft material secured to said top wall of eachpocket so as to be shiftable with the top wall toward and away from theinserted sheet, said friction-producing element when shifted toward thesheet being adapted for clampably engaging the sheet between thereinforcing element and the friction-producing element.

References'Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

